Lancashire’s volunteering stars honoured at annual awards event

Lancashire’s volunteering champions have been recognised at the annual University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) Volunteering and Community Leadership Awards.

Organised by the UCLan Centre for Volunteering and Leadership, the 71 awards across 14 categories honoured the work of people from all walks of life who give up their own free time to make a difference to communities across Lancashire through their time, talent and dedication.

Debs Bradshaw, Co-Director of Preston Pride and second year UCLan community leadership student, won the Joe Medforth Challenge Award which is dedicated to the memory of a Preston student killed in the City in 2006. Debs was recognised for her voluntary work in the Preston LGBT community by helping to raise awareness of homophobic discrimination and encouraging people to speak out against it.

Debs commented “I am chuffed to bits to receive this award. A lot of my volunteering is in the LGBT community where people still face discrimination on a daily basis so to be awarded for my work in this area is brilliant.”

In addition, Jyoti Karri from Fishwick Rangers Youth and Community Development Scheme won the Community Volunteer of the Year prize, Colin Makinson from Callon Kids Club was awarded the UCLan Lifetime Achievement Award and Rock FM’s Cash for Kids won Community Team of the Year.

I am chuffed to bits to receive this award. A lot of my volunteering is in the LGBT community where people still face discrimination on a daily basis so to be awarded for my work in this area is brilliant.

Other categories included; Community Legends, Community Heroes, Community Team of the Year, Marsden Heights Community College Volunteers of the Year and the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Volunteering.

Jo Cunningham, Head of the UCLan School of Social Work, Care and Community, said: “The awards provide a fantastic opportunity to honour our volunteers and celebrate their achievements. Our students and the young people involved make a real impact through volunteering. They develop highly transferrable skills and, importantly, they make a significant positive difference in the communities they serve.”

In 2015/16 the Centre for Volunteering and Community Leadership recruited 1,848 volunteers, contributing 34,324 hours and 19 minutes participating in 749 placements equating to £429,277.38 to the economy. Since 2001 it has worked with 15,031 student volunteers who have contributed 790,176 hours and 53 minutes to volunteering equating to £987,206.63.

The Centre aims to develop community cohesion and active citizenship projects. It works with more than 200 organisations across the country to provide volunteering opportunities for all students in areas such as finance, law, business, computing, social work, sports, media, event management and more.